We have had a remarkable
run for a Users Group!Our speakers have brought us an
extensive range of "newest technology" and have kept our horizons
widened.

Our members have
provided each other great assistance over the years, especially during the
"Open Forum" sessions.And at the heart of those sessions has been Brent Laminack whose
extensive knowledge and hands-on experience with so many tools has been a
pleasure to watch.

Another great aspect of
AUUG has been its welcoming atmosphere!Whether an attendee was a "newbie" to computers or someone
with years of experience, they have always been welcomed and their questions
answered with a "positive attitude".Over the years many professional
friendships have been created.This is one of the special legacies of our years of existence.

Much has changed since
we first met in White Hall on the Emory University campus.In those days, 2400-baud modems were
“high speed” transmissions, most people
had only 1200-baud modems, and signed into “bulletin boards”. The universities and large firms used a
great tool called Netnews to share information.E-mail was text-only with no graphics
or attachments.It is amazing to
realize how much has happened in the past 30 years!

Another big change has
been the “demise” of UNIX!Linux has become the world-wide open-source operating system, and
“UNIX” has all but disappeared (e.g. Solaris, AIX, etc. are now
the commercial versions).

Therefore it seems that
it is also time for the Atlanta UNIX Users Group to also disappear!There are other Atlanta-area user
groups which specialize in the replacement technologies, and AUUG attendance
has also dropped off, which is also a significant indication of how
information can be more usefully obtained via the Internet rather than at a
User Group. Speakers on UNIX-related topics are becoming more difficult to
find.

After such a fine run,
AUUG has much to look back upon with pride!But it is also incumbent to know when
one’s usefulness has passed.

However, one final item
of business:

In February 1985 AUUG was started by
Bob Kindelberger who set up the first meeing, did
all of the mailings to get people to come to the event, and defined AUUG in
the first meeting.He was quickly
joined by Mark Landry and Marc Merlin.Very soon Brent Laminack became the moderator and attended almost
every meeting in the 30-year history of the Group!His warmth, humor, and attitude of
helpfulness has set the tone of AUUG and been a delight to all of us who have
had the pleasure of his company!

Although the Atlanta
UNIX Users Group may be closed, those of us who have been a part of its
30-year history have much to look back upon with pleasant memories, and
perhaps on the first Monday of each month we may give a thought to all those
fine years.